The trouble with sleep
by DSISandraPullman39
Summary: He needed to make it up to her and that meant, at least as first, sleep definitely wasn't a option. He had stuff to do, if he couldn't help fix the mess he'd made he could make sure that by the time she got home she might just realise that it was worth it.
1. Chapter 1

**The trouble with sleep 1/2**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** None

**Pairing:-** Jean/James

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- ** **http(:/) . /group/rebeccafrontlewisffarchive/**

**Summary:-** He needed to make it up to her and that meant, at least as first, sleep definitely wasn't a option. He had stuff to do, if he couldn't help fix the mess he'd made he could make sure that by the time she got home she might just realise that it was worth it.

**Author's Note:- **In answer to Sarah's "Sleep deprivation" challenge to write a story where someone is sleep deprived because they love something or are busy with something. Rated for sexual content; enjoy and reviews would be lovely.

"James where are you?" Robbie shouted startling James from his day dream as he stretched lazily and Lewis stormed through the door waving a sheet of paper in front of him.

"What the hell Robbie you like you're about to burst a blood vessel what…"

"If you think I'm angry you better get that super brain of yours in gear to deal with something nuclear and I hope you have a good excuse because Jean is right behind me and she's ready to kill." Robbie interrupted tossing the paper on James's desk and sinking into the chair behind his own. "You remember the conversation we had with her yesterday about not doing anything rash or stupid because the Master of St John's is the Chief Constable's brother-in-law? You remember how Jean said she would keep him iff our backs provided we did things by the book?"

"Yeah she said if we over stepped and she got it in the ear she'd make sure we were both back in uniform before we could say cock-up but we have been good what's she mad about? I only left her in the car park an hour ago and we've been here ever since so we haven't had time to screw up." James replied. He couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and since he'd got only two hours sleep the night before he wasn't doing a very good job of working it out.

"You remember as well this morning when I asked you to check out the college about the possibility there was something off with the admissions policy and that I said do it discretely?"

"Oh god."

"Oh god doesn't begin to cover it James!" Jean shouted storming into the room before Robbie had a chance to speak again. "Discrete and careful, discrete and bloody careful that was all I asked! I was quite willing to let you both go with this ridiculous line of investigation because you were so convinced it was leading somewhere but I asked you to be careful! Now you've got the whole admissions department of St Johns College on the phone to the Chief Constable! Robbie give is a minute would you?"

"Ma'am it was as much my fault as….."

"Not this time inspector, you get down to St Johns and start putting out fires and do a good job of it or me tearing a strip off James will be the least of our problems." Jean interrupted turning to face Robbie and nodding toward the door as he followed her instructions giving James a final "good luck" glance as he did. Since James and their boss had become romantically involved a few months before he'd been able to talk her round most of the time when they got themselves in trouble. This time though, as he walked away from the office and heard the door slam, he was pretty sure his sergeant couldn't get himself out of this one so easily.

"Sweetheart I'm sorry it was supposed to be a single email to a contact I have in the admissions office. I don't know what happened." James said quietly trying to give Jean his best puppy dog expression even though he knew it was unlikely to work this time. When he got in that morning the three cups of coffee he'd had had done nothing to clear the fog of exhaustion on his mind. He'd gone to the St Johns website to get the email address of an old friend to ask if there was anything he should about corners being cut in an effort to get into the exclusive college. He's clicked on what he thought was the link to Paul's personal email address, now though having finally looked at the sheet of paper in front of him he realised he'd sent it to the general admissions panel email address instead.

"I know what happened! That bloody computer happened you've been up to all hours for three nights in a row you haven't had more than 6 hours sleep in the last 72! That's what happened!" Jean whispered angrily glancing through the window of the office to ensure that they weren't being over heard. While Robbie was all too aware of her and James's relationship the rest of the station wasn't and she didn't want them finding out by overhearing her discussing his sleeping habits. "I told you last night when you put the milk in the larder and the coffee in the fridge that you were sleep deprived but you knew best. I don't know what you're so fascinated with on that bloody thing this week but if you can't switch it off to sleep then we're going to have a serious problem! I can almost live with the fact you've been all but ignoring me but this has crossed a line! I'm going to speak to the Chief Constable, go home and pray that I can calm him down and Robbie can placate the admissions panel."

"Jean I'm sorry I just wanted to finish what I was sorting out so….."

"Save it James, I'll speak to you tonight just make sure when you get home you sleep or I swear I will throw that bloody computer out the window."

"Shit!" James muttered slamming his fist on the table in frustration as she stormed out of the office again. He knew this time he'd properly screwed up, he'd been trying to do something special but he'd got so carried away with that and doing it in time for the coming weekend that he'd lost all perspective on the real world. Now she and Robbie where having to pick up the pieces and he'd really wanted everything to be perfect but now he was going to have to work even harder to finish his plan. He needed to make it up to her and that meant, at least as first, sleep definitely wasn't a option. He had stuff to do, if he couldn't help fix the mess he'd made he could make sure that by the time she got home she might just realise that it was worth it. She would know why he'd been so attached to his computer and that rather than neglecting her he'd been trying to show her just how important she was to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1**

The trouble with sleep 2/2

Staring at the table and what he had left on it James finally felt like he had enough done to maybe, if he was lucky, prove to Jean that not only was he sorry for messing up that morning but that there had been a good reason for his apparent computer obsession in the previous days.

Since they'd been together so much had been happening that it never seemed like the right time to suggest they do something to celebrate the fact that they'd finally made it. He wanted to show her just how happy she'd made him and he was sure she'd forgotten the significance of the upcoming weekend.

"James I'm home are you awake?" Jean called quietly closing the front door with a barely audible click as she did. All afternoon she'd been fighting the desire to call him and apologise for having gone off the deep end that morning. While at the time she'd felt completely justified in her anger in truth with a little diplomacy on Robbie's part and some serious grovelling to the Chief Constable on hers the whole mess had been brought under control by easily. By lunch time all the fires caused by the rogue email had been extinguished and her fury had been replaced with an irresistible need to hold him and ma up for being quite so psychotic about it in the first place. "Honey I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have…."

"Don't come in just yet!" James called from the other side of the living room door as she reached for the handle and realised he was holding it in place so it wouldn't turn.

"James don't be cross with me, I'm sorry ok? I know I shouldn't have brought up the fact you weren't sleeping at work I know we don't bring home into a work related discussion. I know I'm the one who is always adamant that home is, and should be, completely separate from work and I let the fact I was so angry about the email make me forget that." Jean sighed leaning against the wall by the door and listening to him moving around inside. They didn't row often and they never brought any home related issues into work and she mentally kicked herself for bringing up his sleeping habits. Truth be told she knew why it had slipped out and it was nothing to do with him making a simple mistake of hitting the wrong email link. "Talk to me honey I've said I'm sorry I was feeling neglected and upset, you've been so caught up in your computer the last few days you've barely spoken to me and I hate going to bed without you I'm sorry how many times do I….."

"God you are the most impatient woman I've ever met." James laughed opening the door and closing in on her taking her hands as she reached for him and pinning them above her head kissing her hungrily. "I didn't say I was cross I asked you to wait 2 minutes. Now about your ramblings firstly you were completely justified in having a go at me this morning and you were right if I hadn't been so tired I probably wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake."

"I know but…" Jean began the cloud of pent up frustration that had built up in the days before and been let lose by his kiss making it hard to think straight as he put his finger on her lips silencing her.

"Let me finish. I'm sorry about the last couple of days it hasn't been easy for me either not holding you at night and feeling like you were getting more and more irritated with me but I hope you'll think it's worth it. I love you." James continued, opening the door and leading her to the small coffee table beside the sofa where he'd set a small black gift box. "Sit down and open it then I think you'll understand."

"What is this? I thought you were going to sleep this afternoon."

"I know but I had to finish this so I could show you why it was so important."

"Oh James this is amazing!" Jean said quietly taking the printed sheets of paper from the box and glancing at them. "This is what you've been doing?"

"Yeah, I wanted something special for this weekend because….."

"Because it's a year on Saturday since the first time you kissed me and we spent the night together and a year on Sunday since we decided we were going to make it work no matter what it took. I know." She interrupted feeling her eyes filling with tears. She'd convinced herself that the events of the previous few days were proof that a year on he was getting bored with her and regretting that those original events and that he would completely forget. "I thought you'd forgotten. I thought you were losing interest in me and….."

"How could I forget the day my life really started? How could I lose interest in you? It took me a while to find the perfect hotel, then getting the tickets to The Nut Cracker was a nightmare. Did you know the Royal Ballet is booked up 6 months in advance for all performances? I had no idea ballet was so popular. Then I was organising something extra special for Sunday night that bit is still a secret. Oh and when I heard you come in I was making sure that I put in a leave request for me for Monday hopefully our plans won't be ruined my boss can be a real ball breaker at times she might just refuse to give me the day off." James smiled as he took her hand and pulled her out of the sofa again and into his arms.

"Oh I think she might be persuaded to give you the day off if you play your cards right." Jean replied glancing playfully through her eyelashes at him as she pulled out of his arms and took his hand leading him toward the stairs.

"Where are you going? I thought you brought me up here to have me start making up for my shameful neglect of you this week." James asked as they reached the bedroom and she nudged him gently onto the bed before walking toward the en-suite bathroom stopping only briefly at the tall chest of drawers against the wall as she went.

"I'll be back in two minutes just relax I'll make sure it's worth the wait."

Closing the door of the bathroom and quickly shedding the pale grey dress and jacket she'd been wearing for work, taking her hair down and freshening her make-up she added a spray of her favourite perfume and slipped into the dark green negligee she'd brought in with her. Smiling to herself she turned back to the door opening it and leaning against the frame.

"So how exactly can I make it up to you for being so horrible to you this morning? I think…" She smiled her words stopping as she heard a soft snuffled snore coming from the other side of the room. Walking to the side of the bed she looked down at James as he muttered softly in his sleep and couldn't help but laugh softly. "See James the trouble with sleep, or rather the lack of it, is that when you've spent all that time organising something wonderful you end up too exhausted to claim your reward for being so perfect." She whispered turning the bedside light out and kissing him gently on the lips before grabbing her robe and heading out of the room. She knew he'd be furious with himself when he woke up, but she knew he needed the rest. In three days they were going to spend two nights and three days in London with the Royal Ballet, a gorgeous hotel and a Sunday surprise to look forward to. It was going to be perfect she knew it was but she also knew that by the time they had finished celebrating they'd both be exhausted so right now he needed all the sleep he could get.

*****This chapter also covers the "nap" challenge to write a fic where someone is supposed to be doing one thing but falls asleep instead.**


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